Hashtag picket signs yelling #FreeNaomiFreeman started trending on Twitter in an attempt to liberate an abused Chicago woman who is in jail for running over her boyfriend John Perry.

The saga began in July of this year when Naomi Freeman ran over her boyfriend with the family’s minivan after he beat her–killing him. Freeman ran away from the horrific scene.

When his body was pulled out from beneath the car, he was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead due to ‘mechanical asphyxiation.’ The incident was ruled a suicide.

Despite the history of repeated abuse, prosecutors insisted that Freeman could’ve driven away from the situation.

Freeman’s lawyers explain that she didn’t go there with ‘the intent to hurt anybody,’ and that she was ‘in fear for her life and her safety,’ according to DNAInfo.

The defendant was slapped with a first-degree murder charge and held on a $500,000 bond.

The news caught steam again when he family issued a plea for her release.

The statement included a message from Naomi, explaining her side of the story:

Someday I will need to explain to my kids why they don’t have their father. I never meant to hurt him that day, I only acted in fear for my life. I have to forgive myself, but not for surviving, and I don’t think I should be punished for defending my life. I have to get home to my kids as soon as I can and be the best mother I can be. I need a second chance at life for them and myself.

Her family details the violent scene from Naomi’s vantage point. They explain that she was initially pulled out of the vehicle by her hair and slammed to the ground, where Perry continued to punch her in the face 20 times. They claim Naomi was in the early stages of pregnancy at the time and suffering from an auto-immune disease.